The Cat's Pajamas. Surprise, surprise: Jaguar's supercharged feline is no dozing house cat.

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Jaguar's XJS and XK sports coupes always had the advantage of bodywork that draws neck-twisting stares. Regrettably, the experience inside too often hasn't lived up to the desirability of the outside. A cramped cockpit, suspect reliability, free-falling resale value, and a driving experience that trailed the rest of the world's grand-touring coupes were some of the disheartening realities of ownership. But for those who subscribed to the "It's better to look good than to feel good" philosophy, Jaguar provided a fashionable costume, stellar substance notwithstanding.

With the arrival of the 2007 XKR, the old saws about Jaguar coupes should come to an end. Although the seductive skin still has the power to draw envious stares, the driving experience is good enough now to better compete with the dynamic excellence of its peers. Consider that the 420-hp XKR's peers are the 355-hp Porsche 911 Carrera S and the 500-hp BMW M6, and the achievement that is the latest supercharged XKR comes vividly into perspective.

Unlike the last XKR, which could trace its roots back to the mid-'70s XJ-S, this latest iteration isn't hamstrung with the baggage of the past. A new bonded and riveted aluminum structure, conceptually similar to the XJ sedan's, provides a stiff and lightweight base from which to suspend the control-arm chassis. Despite optional 20-inch wheels ($5000), with almost no sidewalls to protect them, and firmer springs than the naturally aspirated XK8's (38 percent stiffer up front and 24 percent stiffer in the rear), the XKR still manages to offer a more compliant ride than a 911 or M6. Where its German peers seemingly compel the road to submit to their substantial will, the Brit dances over imperfections with graceful poise.

When it's time to drop the English-gentleman shtick, the Jag gives the driver the freedom of switching off the stability and traction controls. Begin to push the Jag hard, and the wide Dunlop SP Sport Maxx performance tires show off more skidpad grip than an M6 (0.89 g), but at the limit, the XKR's body moves around more than the M6's or 911's. The motions aren't too distracting, and in less extreme driving the compliance gives the XKR a deft, lively, and nimble feel, a stark contrast to the M6's supremely confident but almost unnatural chassis that borders on artificial. Adding to the delicate feel of the XKR is the accurate and lightly weighted steering that marshals chassis movements instantly.

Unfortunately, senses can deceive. Just as whipped cream can appear and taste weightless but manages to pack calories galore, the wispy-feeling XKR weighs a substantial 3870 pounds (68 heavier than its predecessor and just 38 pounds lighter than an M6). Fortunately, there are 420 horses with which to move the aluminum mass. For 2007, new variable-valve-timing-and-intake tweaks to Jaguar's familiar supercharged 4.2-liter V-8 yield 30 more horses and 14 more pound-feet of torque over last year's XKR. Fuel economy nudges upward by 2 mpg city to 18 and 4 mpg highway to 27. Under our remorseless whip, the XKR consumed a gallon of premium every 13 miles.

At the test track, the supercharged beauty ran to 60 mph in a drama-free 4.5 seconds and turned the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 109 mph. Stopping numbers are equally impressive: from 70 mph to a standstill in 163 feet. The Jag posted some remarkable numbers, but for buyers chasing the rush of speed, the 911 and the M6 are quicker and stop sooner. No manual transmission is offered, which will turn off some shoppers, but the six-speed automatic in the XK features rev-matching downshifts, paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and a sport setting that does an amazing job of channeling Tom Walkinshaw by perfectly downshifting into the right gear for upcoming corners.

When the road turns straight and boring, the XKR coddles with its comfortable two-tone leather-wrapped interior. An excellent and easy-to-decipher touch screen manages the radio, the navigation system, and a myriad of vehicle settings. Temperature and fan controls remain in their usual location on the dashboard, and there are steering-wheel controls for the radio and the optional ($2200) adaptive cruise control. Power-seat controls on the door mimic Mercedes-Benz's design, but they did cease to work intermittently in a most Jaguar-like way. Traditional round instruments with green lighting are separated by a multicolored information center that defaults to an analog clock. At speed, the interior is hushed to the tune of 71 dBA at 70 mph, thanks to the dual-mode exhaust that turns down the volume when cruising. Under full-throttle acceleration, the XKR unleashes 77 dBA of V-8 growl, and supercharger whine is faint, staying in the background.